The Real calibrates the sensations of Madrid before the Champions

On the immediate horizon for Real Madrid, the most anticipated event of the season is already looming. Next Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain arrives at the Santiago Bernabéu with a 1-0 win in the Parc des Princes and an all or nothing in the Champions League. The curiosity with the fearsome and at the same time desired Mbappé, the return of Messi to white territory with another shirt, the fight between the old European aristocracy and the new millionaires of the Old Continent, sustained by the unlimited fortunes of the Middle East… Many incentives as not to divert attention from the immediate future, which goes through the League and Real Sociedad.

The Champions League excites above all in Chamartín, but Ancelotti knows that beyond the spotlight of the best competition on the continent, his future on the white bench can be assured with a League title that is well on its way. Nor does the ‘txuri urdin’ team invite too much confidence and rotations, since Imanol Alguacil’s men have straightened their path in the League with three victories in the last four days and arrive at the Coliseum de la Castellana just one point behind the positions of Champions.

Kroos is absent, suffering from a muscle problem in the hamstring of his left leg that also jeopardizes his contest against PSG. Nor Valverde, in the middle of the flu process. Despite everything, Ancelotti awaits the German and the Uruguayan for next Wednesday. “It is a problem that can be fixed very soon. I don’t think that Kroos and Valverde will lose their physical condition in a few days after training the other day.” The two casualties against Real are compensated by the presence of Casemiro, who in turn will not be in front of Mbappé, Messi and company, like his teammate Mendy, both due to accumulation of yellow cards.

Thus, Ancelotti continues to give top priority to the domestic championship, his clearest way to add a great title this season, and will bet on “the best possible team”, the gala line-up with Camavinga instead of the injured Kroos. The transalpine coach, who grants the duel against the San Sebastian team the condition of “final” and does not even want to hear about the Champions League yet, denies any doubt about the physical condition of a very squeezed team. There is no doubt that the sensations of Madrid in this part of the campaign are not the best and the reasons to raise the possible consequences of the accumulation of minutes among the regulars are evident, but the Madrid coach tries to clear up any questioning in this sense. «Honestly, I am happy with the work we have done with the physical trainers, the doctors, the physios… We have managed it quite well. We have reached a point in the season where we want to be », he settled in the press conference prior to the match against Real Sociedad.

Recovery ‘txuri urdin’

Despite the usual vertigo of Real at the Bernabéu, a stage where in the League they have won four times in 74 visits, from the white house they consider an important step towards the title retaining the three points at stake against the ‘txuri urdin’ team. After an almost immaculate first half of the season, Real went into a tailspin in February, a month that dashed their hopes in the Copa del Rey, where they were beaten by Betis in the round of 16, and in the Europa League, surpassed by a better Leipzig in sixteenths. The convincing 4-0 against Athletic in the San Mamés Basque derby also hurt, but the wins against Osasuna at the Reale Arena and Mallorca in Palma have revitalized the royalist candidacy for the top four places in the table.

Imanol recovers Zaldua for the right side, but Monreal’s loss and Aihen Muñoz’s inconvenience will force Gorosabel to be reconverted to the left lane. In attack, only Januzaj was absent, so except for unexpected rotations, the rest of the ‘txuri urdin’ line-up is aiming for its best clothes for one of the great games of the championship. The League, before the Champions.